Old grocery stores never die, they just come in for remarketing
July 22, 2004
Author: Walt Wiley
'Did you bring bottles?': David Gwynn remembers when the checker at the market asked that question before starting to ring up groceries. It's such a fond memory that he has a Web site under that headline devoted to old grocery stores.
That was in the days when beer and soda bottles were refilled, and the companies wanted them back to refill, even charged a deposit so the customers would bring them back.
David remembers going with his mother to the old A&P store in Greensboro, N.C., where he grew up. "It was always cool and dark and mysterious," he said. "My mother didn't like it, but I found it fascinating."
Now he's scouring historical records to find the sites of the old markets, then visiting to see what's there today, posting his findings on his Web site,
http://www.groceteria.com.
In Carmichael, there was an old Safeway at 4040 Manzanita Ave., built in 1965. Today there's a modern, 24-hour Safeway there.
On Watt Avenue since 1960, there was a Raley's at 3431, between Marconi and Whitney avenues. Today, it's a Grocery Outlet.
Then there is the big, showy '60s-era Safeway at 2509 Fulton Ave., now Tognotti's auto parts emporium.
"These things are always changing," David said. "That's what's fascinating about tracing the history." ...